In a class called Brand Management we have been learning how to do brand audits. The purpose of a brand audit is to simply know where your brand is standing in the current state and what similar competition is out there. This is normally undertaken by a business when change is wanting to be made by the organisation. The brand however isn’t just the logo and what you see, the brand can come down to things such as the smell of the company, the feeling, the sound, the customer service, whether they are wearing uniform or not, if it’s bright or dark and many more stages.
As part of our assignment we grouped up and chose two stores which supply similar products and were asked to complete a brand audit. The two stores we chose were The Universal Store and General pants Co. To start off the brand audit our group took a train ride to the city and visited both stores. In the end we decided The Universal Store needed more character/personality which we will be working on later down the track. For now here’s how it went down. Ps. I love both stores!
GENERAL PANTS CO
Dark.
Industrial.
No vibrant or bright colours besides signage.
Products weren’t set up in any order.
Products were simply set up in a way that aesthetically looked nice.
No prominent smell.
It smelt clean and a little like leather.
The store was clean. There was no rubbish or dirt that was spotted.
The store was kept in good condition.
Loud music: Pop, hip-hop and electronic music.
LOGO
The General Pants Co hasn’t yet changed, it is still the same logo that was launched in 2010.
BRAND ITEMS
General Pants do not sell or make any of their own products. They import products from other manufacturers and re-sell them in their stores.
UNIFORMS
The staff at general pants do not have uniforms. Although they have to wear the clothes that are sold in the store to advertise in store products.
SIGNAGE
Big sign outside on the glass and the hanging from the ceiling to indicate where the shop is. Inside the signs were in fluro colours so they would stand out from everything else.
TARGET AUDIENCE
Male and female
15-30 years old
Fashion conscious
Brand aware
Students
High social media presence
Has unique and individual style
CUSTOMER SERVICE
Give the customer what they want.
Staffs understand that some customers like to be left alone until they need help, some want fast service and others do it by themselves.
ADVERTISEMENT
General pants Tinder app uses a messaging feature to send a push notification inviting users to ‘get in my pants’
The clothing retailer is one of the first ads in Australia to adopt Tinder as an ad platform and is using the activity to drive traffic into its stores and is offering 20% to any customer who shows their Tinder profile.
#GIVEPEACE:
The campaign involved renaming of storefronts, online and social channel to “General Peace Co.”, fundraising for charity with limited edition “Give Peace” tees designed by leading brands store and social media campaign supported by Australian and international celebrities.
In order to spread the message far and wide a celebrity collection of ambassadors have also volunteered to share images of themselves with the #GIVEPEACE massage and encourage their followers to buy a “Give Peace” tee or donate.
Anyone who shares the #GIVEPEACE message on their social media will receive 15% off their purchases at the store.
THE UNIVERSAL STORE
Mostly bare wood.
Glass.
Concrete surfaces which reflects a modern youth taste.
The items in the store were organised cleanly and grouped seasonally or by type. The brighter lighting in the store also lifts the mood well.
The smell consisted of the same denim and ‘new clothing’ smell that we had in General Pants Co. But wasn’t overwhelming.
The music in Universal was a kind of indie rock vibe which is reasonably popular but not offensive to any audience.
LOGO
Logo has stayed the same.
BRAND ITEMS
Universal Store is a unisexual store for the latest in youth street and casual fashion. Universal Store has retail locations around Australia supplying the latest in Mens and Womens fashion from leading fashion brands.
UNIFORM
The staff don’t wear uniforms but carry staff cards on a branded lanyard.
SIGNAGE
Large signage at the front of the store.
TARGET AUDIENCE
Male and female
13-late 20’
Fashion lovers
Students
Hipsters
Teens or parents buying clothes for their kids
CUSTOMER SERVICE
The service in Universal was good, we were greeted on the way in but not pushed toward trying things on, buying things etc.
ADVERTISING
Universal Store also has an Instagram page where they post photographs of outfits regularly promoting and advertising sales and new items. Their page is very clean and minimal, with white borders which appeals to a ‘hipster’ audience as well as fashion and design bloggers. They are now sitting on an increasing 40k followers and use Instagram majorly for marketing. Similarly Facebook is used to promote and advertise their store, also very clean and easy to navigate.
lottydesign 